Month: August 2015

Review: Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

E.F. Sunland

20 Books of Summer 2015: Book 7

In my early teens, I read Michael Crichton’s books over and over, but not Jurassic Park. Instead, I watched the movie 30 times and pounced on the sequel as soon as I knew it existed. Reading Crichton still feels nostalgic. I remember counting down to the release of his final books and being immersed in the possibility of time travel, nanobots, mind-reading spheres, dinosaurs…and all the rest he imagined. Crichton had a unique gift for adding the right amount of science to his fiction. He often began with a contemporary world filled with recognizable characters before tweaking the science to build something fantastic. read more

Review: Coraline by Neil Gaiman

E.F. Sunland

20 Books of Summer 2015: Book 5

Desperate to make progress in the reading challenge hosted by Cathy746books, I grabbed a short one. Coraline, by Neil Gaiman, clocks in at 162 pages and a 90 minute reading time. Even if you’ve seen the movie, there are enough differences that the book is superior. Book-Coraline doesn’t rely on an irritating sidekick; she’s cleverer and self-reliant. There’s a cast of helpers behind her, but Coraline must sort out their cryptic help alone. The film, by making Coraline a supporting character in her own story, overlooks the fun and adventure of the original.

From the back cover:
When Coraline steps through a door to find another house strangely similar to her own (only better), but full of fantastic turns and things seem marvelous. But there’s another mother there, and another father, and they want her to stay and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go. Coraline will have to fight with all her wits and courage if she is to save herself and return to her ordinary life.

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